As internal combustion engines wear, the annular spaces between the pistons and the cylinder tend to increase. In the combustion chamber of each cylinder, an air-fuel mixture is ignited. The expanding gas mixture forces the piston upwards generating power from the engine. In the expansion process, part of the gas mixture is forced between the annular spaces between the piston and the cylinder into the crankcase. In addition, unburned fuel can be present after the internal combustion engine is shut down. These xe2x80x9cblow-byxe2x80x9d gases, which also include oil mist and unburned fuel, accumulate in the crankcase and must be vented from the crankcase to the atmosphere to prevent a potentially dangerous pressure build-up in the crankcase.
Pollution control laws and regulations restrict the emissions from internal combustion engines. As exhaust gases from internal combustion engines have become cleaner, the blow-by gases have become a more significant fraction of the total pollution generated from internal combustion engines. In many localities, the pollution control laws and regulations are such that vapors from the internal combustion engines must be cleaned prior to discharge into the atmosphere.
Disclosed herein is an air cleaner assembly for an internal combustion engine. The air cleaner assembly comprises a housing comprising a filter element situated therein, an outlet for allowing filtered air to flow to the engine, and an inlet conduit extending from the housing for permitting the entry of air into the housing; a retainer coupled to the inlet conduit, the retainer comprising a wall defining a first open end and a second open end, wherein the wall forms a cuffed portion about the second open end and has an annular recess facing the first open end for receiving an annular wall of the inlet conduit; a clamping device disposed about the second open end and a portion of the inlet conduit; and a hydrocarbon adsorber member sealingly disposed within the first open end.
A process for reducing fuel emissions contained within an air cleaner assembly to an external atmosphere comprises securing a retainer to an inlet conduit of an air cleaner assembly, the retainer comprising a wall defining first and second open ends, wherein the wall has a cuffed portion about the second open end forming a recess facing the first open end, and wherein a portion of the inlet conduit is seated in the recess; sealingly engaging a hydrocarbon adsorber member in the first open end; securing a clamping device about the second open end of the retainer and the portion of the inlet conduit seated in the recess to form an air tight seal between the retainer and inlet conduit.
A process for operating an air cleaner assembly comprises operating an engine in fluid communication within the air cleaner assembly for drawing air from an external environment through the air cleaner assembly to the engine, wherein the air cleaner assembly comprises a housing containing a filter element, an inlet conduit extending from the housing and an outlet; a retainer coupled to the inlet conduit, the retainer comprising a wall defining a first open end and a second open end, wherein the wall has a cuffed portion about the second open end forming a recess facing the first open end, wherein a portion of the inlet conduit is seated in the recess; and an adsorber member disposed within the first open end, wherein the adsorber member comprises an outer perimeter sealingly abutting against the retainer wall; and treating a backflow of fluid from the engine into the air cleaner assembly with the adsorber member after shutdown of the engine to reduce fuel emissions into the external environment.